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My DS9 (10 soon) has skipped two grades: he skipped third and fifth and is now in sixth, with extra acceleration in a couple subjects. I don't know his IQ, but I think he'd probably be in the range you're talking about with your daughter.

Academically, it's been wonderful. He finally has meaningful work, and even has to think hard about stuff sometimes. This wasn't the case in 4th grade last year. Things were still too easy.

Socially, it's also been fine, but he goes to a very small school and he's also got very good social skills. It sounds like your daughter does too, from your quick description. He seems to get along with kids of pretty much all ages.

Our daughter skipped K and is doing a mixture of 1st, 2nd and higher stuff. I expect she has another skip coming in the next couple years. Her social experiences seem to be what I'd call normal: she argues with some kids and gets along famously with some kids, and sometimes there's crossover between those two groups.

As for high school, our plan is to let our kids finish at 16 and then have two years to explore what interests them. I can't read the future, but I don't anticipate more grade skips. The eldest attends a combined middle/high school, and a lot of the subjects are actually a year ahead. For example, the 6th grade uses a 7th grade vocabulary book and the kids are reading [i]The Odyssey[\i].

We have a lot of community colleges around here, plus our kids will be able to get part time jobs and participate in internships. Adult life can be so rushed --- we want to give them two years where they'll have a lot of freedom to explore.

Hope that helps; PM me if you want more information.

Cheers,

Val

As for high school
Our plan is to let our kids

Instead of five years of high school, why not wait on the grade skip and graduate high school in 3 years?

I'm seriously considering this as an option.

Most high schools don't have enough challenge, even in AP/IB classes, and AP classes usually are not nearly as challenging as classes at a competitive university. Another year of high school might just hold back a kid who could be doing (or is already doing) college-level work.

I know this isn't really what you are asking about, but I figure nobody will mind if I throw it out there.

I think middle school is kind of nuts. Sixth grade is really young to have to go from class to class deal with several different teachers and sets of demands. And I don't even want to think about 12 year-olds making out and going through sexual dramas and competitions for the hot girl or guy.

I also think middle shortchanges math since math isn't given enough time relative to the other classes. I don't want my kids spending as much time on social studies as they do on math. It's not that social studies (or whatever they call it these days) isn't as important, but its not as cumulative. They can learn it anytime. Math requires consistent practice and the topics need to be addressed in a more rigid order.

And I suspect it shortchanges writing because while the students are producing written work for their history/social studies/ecology/whatever teachers, those teachers probably aren't giving them feedback on their writing skills and may not be qualified to do so even if they are willing to.

I also think that by middle school their bodies are reasonably strong and developed and it would be a terrific time to concentrate on sports and develop and interest in a particular sport. Or learn a foreign language. Or see if they have what it takes to take their music to the next level. They are old enough at that age to measure their abilities and they are old enough to intuitively make the choices that reflect their personal talents and proclivities.

So if I were going to have my kids step out for a couple of years, it would definitely be during the middle school years.

Then in HS they can take advanced math and science classes and work on their other interests at the pace/degree of rigorousness they choose, but the minimum level being their HS curriculum.

When did your dd turn 8 (i.e.-would she have been older for grade without skipping)? I have a few thoughts even though dd11 has only skipped one grade. My dd is not DYS. She is HG (probably right around the 99th percentile). She was already quite young for grade pre-skip b/c she has an early fall bd, so she (and her younger sis) turned 8 early in 3rd grade with no skipping. I do think that skipping her was the right thing. If your child would have been old for grade w/out that K skip and she is more able than mine (which it certainly sounds like is the case), it seems reasonable that she will need more acceleration than mine has.

In re to 5 yrs of high school, I wouldn't do it. We talked with some local high schools about that option for dd b/c she won't be turning 16 until her senior year. We were advised that colleges might look poorly at that choice b/c, at quick glance, it appears to be due to a child who couldn't finish in 4 yrs regardless of grades. They said that kids who take 5 yrs are usually ones who haven't completed all requirements in 4 yrs and that it isn't a good first impression on college admission officers. How about 4 yrs of high school and then one year at a community college before heading off to a uni?

My last year in HS saw only two good classes. The rest was a waste of time. If I'd know better, I'd have done the following:

My opinion would be to plan the LAST year of HS then work backwards from there. The last year should have all the hard classes, ie AP ir IB capstone classes and the focus of the schedule should be to make this work.

Then see where the skips work Stuff like language may require doing some sort of tutor or outside classwork to skip the I and II parts so the rest fits in the schedule.

We're in kind of the same situation as you are with DD who turned 8 just after the start of 4th grade this year, so I don't know if I'll be of any help. But the main thought I had when reading your posts is that your very social daughter is probably going to want to graduate with her classmates when she gets to high school rather than being left behind for a 5th year while all her friends move on to other things.

For our part it has occurred to me that DD could take a year off between HS and college to travel. But the more I think about it, if I'm trying to keep her from growing up too fast, college is a relatively sheltered environment compared to traveling the world. So, now I'm leaning toward her just going to college at the same time as her classmates just before she turns 17. Honestely, she's always been a bit mature for her age, so based on what I know now, I think she'll be at least as mature as many regular college freshmen. I guess we'll see what happens when the time comes!

I know of a girl in dd's school (private k-12) who went there for elementary, homeschooled 2 years of middle school, then and came back for high school skipped ahead a year. The plan is for her to do high school in 5 years. I don't know if the girl is PG or not, but she is amazingly composed, mature, and articulate. I think she plans to be a professional musician and practices violin during a portion of the school day. She is amazing and seems really happy. I'd love to see my daughter apply herself this way in a couple years.

LOL! Oh, I'm sorry, CFK. I think your point is an important one.

We can hope that you're just lucky though, right? The rest of our plans will work out.

So, now I'm leaning toward her just going to college at the same time as her classmates just before she turns 17.

Our dd started college just before she turned 17-started school early then skipped 1st. She is PG, but basically from first grade on, just followed a normal school pattern.
A few thoughts:
1) We've had relatively few problems re:age. She is 19 and a college junior studying biology. Luckily, we live very close to a good liberal arts college that offered her a full ride. She lives there, but is close. A perfect compromise. Dd #2 will graduate at 17 and turn 18 later in the fall (in college), but she is more mature than most of her classmates and will be fine a bit further away.

2) We had no problems re: dating, drinking, driving etc. Actually, dd17's friends are all serious performers and many got their licenses late because of that.

3) I can't IMAGINE either dd being willing to stay an extra year of HS. Just wouldn't happen. They have friends, they are social, they were/are doing all the usual "I'm a senior" now stuff. Nope, just can't imagine. Dd17 is very young for her class and she is sooooo ready to go.

4) It is hard to schedule. Our HS offers many AP classes (all but 4, I believe) but the issue is the scheduling. Luckily, we also live close to CTD, our community college has a talent search, we have dual enrollment, etc.. All that said, though, dd17 has stayed at the HS because she is in a fantastic music program (also takes four AP classes).

5)I've had a very positive experience and I don't think that there was necessarily a better way, but I have two gifted boys (8 and 9) and I'm pursuing other enrichment besides grade skip. I think that it's a lot harder to get them to "go along" with your plans when they're juniors or seniors in HS, no matter what their age. For both my girls, their friends and teachers always viewed them as the same age as their peers, and that can be good or bad.

Theresa